weekend adventures!

Saturday: Viking Splash Tour!
I met Martina and Kathriona at Stephen's Green for the tour. This is one of the more famous tours in Dublin. It consists of taking a DUKW all around Dublin City center to all of the famous viking landmarks, and while driving "rawring" at people along the street. Then it continues into the water for a 10 minute float around in the man made canal basin, where we got to see where U2's recording studio use to be(everyone: oooohh ahhhh). I'd have to say the best part of the tour was that we were on it with about 15 small children, 7-10 years old. They were good at rawring and had the best answers to historical questions. My favorite was when the tour guide asked if any of them knew which English queen built Trinity College, to which one young man quickly answered, "Elton John!"

A true viking maiden

Capt'n Judy

St. Patrick's cathedral...maybe you've heard of this guy?


Sunday: Wicklow Mountains
Treasa picked me up around noon and we headed down to Wicklow County, south of Dublin. Wicklow is known for its mountains and it was absolutely beautiful. We were also accompanied by Treasa's 2.5 year old son who made the adventure all the more exciting. He's absolutely adorable and very imaginative. After a long day of walking in the mountains and forest I'm ready for a hot shower.

Thoughtful

Guinness owns this valley...

The graveyard at Glendalough

Treasa and James walking towards the lake


On our trip Treasa told me all kinds of superstitions, apparently the Irish are (still) very superstitious. I learned all about fairies, leprechauns, banshees, and magpies. The other thing we talked a lot about was Guinness. I learned how much the Guinness factory helped the people of Ireland. They built houses for the homeless and low income, if you were lucky enough to get a job working in the factory you were set for life (as well as your family), and every nice building you see in the city was somehow linked to the Guinness business. In fact, the house and neighborhood where i live was built as living quarters specifically for the factory workers. Very interesting stuff.
okay...on to that shower, goodnite.